Electrical connector



Oct. 27, 1970 v J. J. BRESLIN 3,537,084

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Feb. 5, 1969 -INVE-NTOR;

ATTORNEYS JOHN J. BRESLIN United States Patent O M 3,537,064 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR John J. Breslin, Los Altos Hills, Calif., assignor to Beamco, Inc., Mountain View, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Feb. 5, 1969, Ser. No. 796,751 Int. Cl. H011- 17/18 US. Cl. 339-129 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electrical connector for use with a jack probe having two longitudinally spaced electrical contacts. The connector or jack is comprised of an electrically non-conductive sleeve having an external flange at one end thereof; an electrically non-conductive locking collar adapted to be slipped over the sleeve to one side of the flange; and two hairpin type conductor clips adapted to be extended through aligned slots in the sleeve and collar. When received in the slots, the clips function to lock the sleeve and collar together and define contacts extending into the interior of the sleeve. The sleeve is designed to telescopically receive the jack probe and the respective contacts provided by the clips are positioned to establish connection with the jack probe contacts upon such receipt. In use with an apertured mounting plate, the sleeve is extended through an aperture so as to dispose the flange thereon to one side of the plate and the locking collar is then assembled over the sleeve to the other side of the plate. Thus, when the clips are positioned, they function to both lock the composite connector to the plate and provide contacts within the sleeve.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the prior art, various types of jacks have been provided. Some of these bear a resemblance to the instant invention in that they employ spring clips of the hairpin type to provide contacts in a tubular body fabricated of an electrically non-conductive material. Pat. No. 3,077,523 illustrates a jack of this general type. Such jacks have had the disadvantage, however, that separate mounting provisions, such as fastening rivets, had to be provided. While the prior art suggests the use of hairpin type spring clips to secure components in mounted position, these clips have not performed the dual function of also providing electrical contacts within a jack. Pat. No. 3,048,673 illustrates a spring clip employed for fastening purposes, without the function of providing an electrical contact within a jack.

The jack of the invention provides for fast and easy assembly of the component to all types of equipment and is particularly advantageous where assembly is performed in the field and not at the factory. The design allows final assembly to be performed without the use of any special tools. These features, when added to the durability of the jack, make it ideal for use on equipment subject to abuse such as the central vacuum system which is described in this specification as an example of an environmental use of the connector.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to remedy the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a jack made up of a pair of telescopically inter-related members held together by a pair of hairpin type spring clips. The members are designed for mounting on an apertured face plate and cooperate, when assembled, to lock themselves to the plate. The spring clips function to both maintain the members in an assembled condition and to provide electrical contacts within the inner of the members.

3,537,064 Patented Oct. 27, 1970 The foregoing abstract summarizes the construction of the inventive jack. A more precise definition is found in the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the jack as used to make electrical connections in a remote controlled central vacuum system;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective View of the jack of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled jack of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT Considering in detail FIG. 1, the improved jack is designated therein by the numeral 10 and shown being employed as an electrical connector for a remote controlled central vacuum system. The basic vacuum system is of the type shown in my Pat. No. 3,258,553 and includes a centrally located suction pump (not shown), a hose outlet 12 for a detachable suction hose 14 and an activating switch 16 on a wand 18 at the extremity of the suction hose. The activating switch 16 permits an operator to start or stop the central suction pump from the wand 18. Since the suction hose is portable and is generally used with a plurality of hose outlets located at various places throughout a household, a means of electrically connecting the activating switch 16 to the central suction pump is required at each hose outlet station.

The activating switch for the vacuum system is connected to two electrical wires (not shown) which pass from the wand 18 and through the suction hose 14 to connection with a jack probe 22 at the connector end of the suction hose, designated 24.

The jack probe 22 is provided with two exposed electrically conductive portions, 26, 28, respectively, longitudinally spaced thereon and separated by an insulating spacer 30. Its construction is conventional, with the conductive portion 26 at the end of the probe connected to one electrical wire from the switch 16 by a conductive core axially passing through, and insulated from, the conductive portion 28 at the base of the probe 22. The other electrical wire from the switch is directly connected to the conductive portion 28 of the probe. The probe 22 is mounted on a hose connector 24 at one end of the suction hose 14 in a position wherein it will mate with the jack 10 when the hose connector is inserted into the outlet 12. Support of the jack is provided by a faceplate 34 having an aperture 35 therein for receipt of the jack.

The jack 10 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. It is comprised of four principal elements: a tubular guide sleeve 36, an annular locking collar 38, and two electrical conductor clips 40 and 42, respectively. The tubular guide sleeve and the annular locking collar are fabricated from an electrically non-conductive material.

The guide sleeve 36 is formed with a flared end portion 44 defining an annular flange therearound, Internally, it defines a longitudinal passage 48 proportioned for slidable receipt of the jack probe 22 (shown in phantom in FIG. 4). To one side of the flared end portion 44, the sleeve 36 is transversely slotted at two spatially separated locations positioned to be in opposition to the spaced conductive portions, 26 and 28, of the jack probe 22 when the probe is fully inserted into the guide sleeve, as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 4. At each location, a pair of oppositely disposed slots designated, respectively, 50 and 52 are thus provided. The slots are cut to a depth partially breaching the inside diameter of the guide sleeve, thereby exposing conductive sections of the jack probe 22 when it is inserted into the guide sleeve.

The axial passage of the annular locking collar 38, designated 54, is of a diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the guide sleeve 36 and thus permits the collar to fit closely over the guide sleeve. First and second pairs of oppositely disposed slots 56 and 58, respectively, extend transversely through the collar and open into the passage 54. The pairs of slots 56 and 58 are disposed to assume aligned relationship with the pairs of slots 50 and 52, respectively, when the collar 38 is telescoped over the sleeve 36 to a predetermined position, as illustrated in FIG. 4. This predetermined position and the proportioning of the collar 38 is such that the space between the flared end portion 44 and the surface of the collar opposed thereto is substantially equal to the thickness of the plate on which the jack is to be mounted (i.e., the plate 34).

In mounting the jack on the plate 34, the guide sleeve 36 is first inserted through the aperture 35 of the plate to position the flared end portion 44 in abutment with the front face of the plate, designated 34a. To facilitate this positioning, the aperture 35 is dimensioned to have a diameter slightly greater than that of the slotted body portion of the sleeve and less than that of the flared end portion 44. The abutment of the end portion 44 with the plate prevents the sleeve from passing completely through the aperture 35. Once the sleeve 36 is so positioned, the locking collar is telescoped thereover to the rear of the plate 34 to a position wherein the slots 56 and 58 align, respectively, with the slots 50 and 52. In this condition, the plate 34 is clamped between the flared end portion 44 and the surface of the collar 38 opposed thereto. Mounting is completed by snapping the conductor clips 40 and 42 into the aligned slots. The detailed construction and operation of the clips will be developed in the subsequent discussion.

The locking collar may be keyed to the wall plate by a hole and pin arrangement or other means if the particular use of the jack requires that the jack be prevented from rotation in its mounting plate. For the vacuum system disclosed, a peripheral portion 38a of the annular locking collar 38 is contoured to cooperate with the cylindrical hose outlet 12 on the wall plate, thereby preventing axial rotation of the collar as illustrated in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the electrical clips 40 and 42 are connected, respectively, to lead wires 60 and 62 which complete the electrical circuit to the suction pump for the vacuum system. The clips are of the hairpin type and are fabricated from a resilient electrically conductive material, such as stiff wire. The clips are identical in construction and each is formed with a pair of protruding prongs which are spring biased to close as shown in their undisturbed state, as illustrated in FIG. 2. The prongs of the clip 40 are designated 40a and 401), while the prongs of the clip 42 are designated 42a and 42b. The prongs 40a and 42a terminate in portions 400 and 420, respectively, extending at generally right angled disposition thereto. When the clips are engaged in the aligned slots, these portions wrap around the body of the collar 38 to insure that the clips cannot be inadvertently displaced.

ASSEMBLY In assembly, the sleeve 36 and collar 38 are first positioned as noted in the aforedescribed mounting procedure to dispose the flared portion 44 to one side of the plate and the collar to the other side of the plate with the pairs of slots in the sleeve and collar in aligned condition and the main body of the sleeve extending through the aperture 35. Thereafter, one of the conductor clips is clipped into each of the aligned pairs of slots by spreading the clip around the collar 38 and into a position wherein the prongs of the clip are aligned with one of the opposed pair of slots in the collar 38 and then permitting the clip to contract and seat into the slots aligned therewith. The slots in the annular locking collar are sufficiently deep to permit the clips to fully seat in the slots 50 and 52 of the guide sleeve. Thus, the prongs of the clip pass partially through the interior of the sleeve and provide electrical contacts therein disposed for engagement, respectively, by the respective contacts of the jack probe 26.

When positioned in the transverse slots of both the collar and guide sleeve, the prongs of the clips prevent lateral displacement of the collar with respect to the sleeve and thereby lock the collar and sleeve to the wall plate as shown in FIG. 4. The bent-end portions of one of the prongs hook over the outer surface of the locking collar to secure the conductor clips from accidental dislodgment.

It should be noted that the slots in the guide sleeve are limited in depth to allow only a small portion of the prongs to extend into the passage 48 of the guide sleeve, as shown in FIG. 3. When the jack probe is inserted, the prongs flex and are partially displaced by the probe, as shown by the phantom lines in FIG. 3, such that the clamping action of the conductor clips is directed onto the respective conductive portions of the jack probe. The clamping action insures that a proper electrical contact is made between the probe and clips to complete the desired electrical circuit, and further insures that the probe will securely fit into the guide sleeve.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical jack for use in combination with a jack probe that has two spatially separated electrically conductive portions, said jack comprising:

(a) an electrically non-conductive tubular guide sleeve having a flared end portion, a longitudinal probe passage adapted to slidably receive the probe and at least two slots extending transversely therethrough in spatially separated relationship to each other to assume alignment with the electrically conductive portions of the jack probe upon receipt of the probe in the passage, said slots being of suflicient depth to partially breach the longitudinal probe passage of the tubular guide sleeve;

(b) an electrically non-conductive, annular locking collar adapted to be telescoped over the sleeve to one side of the flared end portion thereof; and

(c) a pair of electrically conductive clips adapted to be clipped into the slots in the tubular guide sleeve, after the telescoping of the locking collar thereover, to a position wherein:

( 1) portions of the clips extend into the probe passage to provide contacts therein engageable with the electrically conductive portions of a jack probe inserted into the passage;

(2) at least one of said clips is engaged with both the collar and guide sleeve to lock the collar to the sleeve against movement away from the flared end portion thereof whereby the jack may be secured to a mounting plate disposed between the flared end portion and the collar.

2. An electrical jack according to claim 1 further comprising locking means to prevent rotational movement of the jack when the jack is secured to a mounting plate disposed between the flared end portion and the collar.

3. An electrical jack according to claim 1 wherein:

(a) the annular locking collar is formed with at least one pair of slots extending transversely therethrough for alignment, respectively, with the respective slots in the guide sleeve upon telescopic receipt of the collar on the sleeve; and

(b) upon being clipped into position after the telescoping of the collar over the sleeve, the clips ext lend through and into engagement with the aligned s ots.

4. An electrical jack according to claim 3 wherein:

(a) each of the electrical conductor clips is fabricated of resilient wire formed into a bifurcated configuration having two prongs;

(b) upon being clipped into position, the respective prongs of each clip extend over opposite sides of the telescoped sleeve and collar and one prong extends through each pair of aligned slots; and

(c) at least one of the prongs of each clip is formed with a bent end portion which hooks over the outer surface of the locking collar to secure the conductor clips from accidental dislodgement.

5. An electrical jack for use in combination with a jack probe that has two spatially separated, electrically conductive portions, said jack comprising:

(a) an electrically non-conductive tubular guide sleeve having a flared end portion, a longitudinal probe passage adapted to slidably receive the probe, two pairs of transversely aligned slots extending therethrough at spatially separated locations disposed to assume alignment With the electrically conductive portions of the jack probe upon receipt of the probe in the passage, said slots being of sufficient depth to partially breach the longitudinal probe passage of the tubular guide sleeve;

(b) an electrically non-conductive, annular locking collar adapted to be telescoped over the sleeve to one side of the flared end portion thereof, said collar having two pairs of transversely aligned slots extending therethrough at positions disposed, respectively, for alignment with each respective pair of slots in the sleeve upon telescopic receipt of the collar on the sleeve; and

(c) a pair of electrically conductive clips, each of which is adapted to be clipped into one of the aligned pairs of slots in the collar, upon telescoping of the sleeve and collar together, to a position wherein:

(1) portions of the clip extend into the probe passage to provide contacts therein engageable with the electrically conductive portions of a jack probe inserted into the passage; and

(2) portions of the clip engage both the collar and sleeve to lock the collar to the sleeve against movement away from the flared portion thereof whereby the jack may be secured to a mounting plate disposed between the flared end portion and the collar.

6. An electrical jack according to claim 5 further comprising locking means to prevent rotational movement of the jack when the jack is secured to a mounting plate disposed between the flared end portion and the collar.

7. An electrical jack according to claim 6, wherein the locking means comprises a portion on the collar contoured to mate in engagement with an element fixed relative to the mounting plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 917,145 4/1909 Russell 339129 1,950,215 3/1934 Baum 20051 3,077,523 2/1963 Clewes 2005l.12 3,246,282 2/1966 Mas et a1. 339-176 FOREIGN PATENTS 658,761 1/1929 France.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner L. J. STAAB, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

